COWLEY COLLEGE

Completing an Associate’s Degree: What you need to know!

Upon completion of an approved technical program of study from Caddo Kiowa Technology Center, students may earn an Associate of General Studies degree (AGS) in Applied Technologies from Cowley College by completing additional general education credit requirements as outlined below.

Cowley College will accept the coursework completed by students who complete an approved career/technical program of study of 600 hours or more from CKTC (see Attachment A with listing of approved programs) who want to pursue this degree completion program. The hours will be awarded on the transcript after the student has earned 12 credit hours of coursework with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA at Cowley County Community College.

The hours may only be applied towards an Associate of General Studies Degree and will be listed as a block of technical credit with a grade notation of “CR” on the student’s Cowley County Community College transcript.

Thirty (30) credit hours of general education courses are required for the degree completion at Cowley College. The coursework must include:

English Composition I &II, (6 credit hours)

Computer Literacy, (3 credit hours)

Communications & Humanities, (6 credit hours)

Social Science Electives, (6 credit hours)

Mathematics (Int. Alg. or higher), (3 credit hours)

Lab Science, (5 credit hours)

Health & Physical Education, (1 credit hour)

General education credit earned at another accredited post-secondary institution may be evaluated for transfer into Cowley College with the submission of an official transcript from that institution. A minimum of 15 credit hours of general education coursework, however, must be completed at Cowley College in order for a degree to be granted.

Current high school students, who wish to start earning general education credit prior to graduation, will fall under the admissions guidelines of the Cowley College Concurrent Academic Partnership for Secondary Students (CAPSS see attachment B) Program. Minimum assessment and cumulative high school GPA requirements (2.75) are needed.

Although most of the general education credit earned is considered “transferable credit” to a four-year university, the AGS degree is intended to be most beneficial to students who plan to immediately utilize their technical work skills in the workplace and do not plan to transfer to a four-year university to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. If a student’s educational goal is to obtain a higher degree, they should follow a program of study to earn a transferable Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree applicable to their area of interest.

Upon successful completion of all general education course requirements and submission of a degree application by the student, Cowley College will grant an Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree in Applied Technologies.

To participate in this degree completion program the student shall:

Successfully complete an approved program of study with a minimum of 660 clock hours from the Oklahoma technical school.

Apply for admission to Cowley College within two years of completing their technical program at the Oklahoma technical school. (Any exceptions would require approval by the Cowley registrar or Academic Affairs administrator.)

Submit official transcripts to Cowley College from the Oklahoma technical school and their high school. In addition, if previous college credit has been earned at another accredited post-secondary institution; an official transcript from that post-secondary institution must also be submitted to Cowley College at the time of admission.

Complete a course placement assessment with Cowley College, if applicable. Previous assessment scores on the ACT or COMPASS assessment will be considered.

Maintain a 2.00 grade point average on all credits earned and complete 30 credit hours of applicable general education courses.

Pay the applicable tuition and fees in effect for the general education coursework.

Complete a degree application at the beginning of the student’s last semester at Cowley College.

Complete a CAAP Assessment. This requirement will be waived if the student has completed a WorkKeys assessment at the end of their Technical school program and has sent those official scores to Cowley College.

CKTC Approved Technical Programs of Study

Business Financial Management – Full Charge Bookkeeper or Financial Assistant

Hospitality & Tourism-Culinary Arts Management Assistant

Personal Care Services – Cosmetologist or Cosmetologist-Public

Personal Care Services - Master Instructor

Visual Arts – 3D Gaming Designer

Printing Technology – Graphic Communications Press Operator

Printing Technology – Printing Design Technician

Graphic Design – Production Technology

Early Childhood & Development & Svc. – Early Care and Education Associate Teacher

Early Childhood & Development & Svc- Early Care and Education Director

What is the CAPSS program?

CAPSS (Concurrent Academic Partnership for Secondary Students) is a program that provides an opportunity for qualified high school students to take advantage of academic college courses and earn college credit prior to graduating from high school. Career & Technical Education/Vocational programs follow a different set of admission guidelines.

What is the advantage of taking College courses while in high school?

Students are able to get an early start on their college career and earn college credit at an affordable price. Often it will keep students from extending their time at a more costly four-year institution.

Can any high school student enroll in college courses?

No, there are admission guidelines that have been put into place to help promote student success and provide a positive first-time college experience. Students must be a sophomore, junior, or senior, or a 9th-grade student who is classified as “gifted” with a current Individual Education Plan (IEP) that indicates the student is ready for College-level coursework. In addition, minimum G.P.A. and reading levels are required for all academic courses, and English and Math courses require college-level performance on writing and math assessments.

What are the admission guidelines for the CAPSS program?

To be eligible to enroll in a general education course a student must

Be a high school sophomore, junior, or senior, or a “gifted” 9th grade student.

Hold a minimum high school cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 on a four-point scale.

Concurrent Enrollment Partnership (CEP) Site: Courses taught in area high schools during the school day utilizing qualified high school instructors. In order for a high school to serve as a CEP site, a Memorandum of Understanding must be established between the College and the School District.

What courses can high school students enroll in?

Although CAPSS students may enroll in any academic course that the College offers towards an Associate’s Degree, the following are some of the most common courses students take advantage of, which transfer without issues within the Regents system.

MTH 4420

College Algebra

3 credits

MTH 4425

Trigonometry

3 credits

MTH 4423

Elem. Statistics

3 credits

COM 2711

Public Speaking

3 credits

ENG 2211

Composition I

3 credits

ENG 2212

Composition II

3 credits

PSY 6711

General Psychology

3 credits

SOC 6811

Principles of Sociology

3 credits

Is there a limit to the number of hours a CAPSS student can take?

Yes. While a participant in the CAPSS program, a student will be expected to maintain part-time student status, which means they are enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours per semester. Occasionally, an exception will apply to this rule. Students who wish to enroll in 12 or more hours in a semester are required to obtain prior approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Cowley College.

Can the college credit that’s earned be transferred to another institution?

Yes. Cowley College has transfer agreements with the Regents Universities in Kansas, many area private institutions, as well as other four-year institutions in surrounding states. How Cowley College courses transfer is established by the four-year institutions, which have guidelines outlining how previous college credit earned will be applied to the student’s program of study. To answer specific transfer questions, it is best to check directly with the institution where the student plans to transfer or work with a Cowley academic advisor. If you have questions, feel free to contact Janice Stover at Cowley College, stover@cowley.edu or via phone at 620.441.5247.

How do the college credits that have been earned through the CAPSS program get transferred to another institution?

After the course grades have been recorded on the student’s official Cowley transcript, the student must complete a Transcript Request Form through the Cowley Student Services office or online.

A processing fee of $6.00 per transcript applies. Once this step is completed, a student’s official transcript is sent to the designated institution where the transcript is evaluated and appropriate credit is applied to the student’s academic record at that institution.

What does a student need to provide to the College in order to be enrolled for classes?

The College must receive the following for each student:

A completed CAPSS enrollment form with Principal’s signature

An official copy of their current High School transcript reflecting GPA or confirmation of GPA from High School counselor on the CAPSS form.

A copy of qualifying ACT test scores or completion of a Cowley assessment

Full payment of tuition and fees

Where can students take the necessary assessment tests?

Students may take the ACT on one of the National test dates scheduled on Saturdays periodically throughout the year. If students have not taken the ACT, they may take one of the assessment tests provided by Cowley College. Many area high schools offer on-site assessment opportunities provided by Cowley College. Check with your high school counselor to see if your school participates in this testing option. Students may also schedule an appointment to test at the Cowley Arkansas City campus by contacting the Student Services office at (620) 441-6335; the Mulvane Bloomenshine Center at (316) 777-3050 [430 E. Main, Mulvane]; or at the Cowley Wichita Eastside Center at (316) 683-6013 [4900 E. Pawnee, Suite 107].

When do students enroll for classes?

Personnel from the College visit many of the area high schools to enroll students at the beginning of each semester. Students can also enroll at the main campus or at one of the Cowley College enrollment centers. Students should check with their high school counselor to see if enrollment will take place at their high school.

How do students obtain the necessary textbooks?

Students are expected to purchase their own copy of the course textbook, unless otherwise provided by their school district. Many of the outlying high schools choose to have personnel from Cowley visit their site at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters to sell textbooks and enroll students.

Students may also purchase their textbooks directly at the Sid Regnier bookstore located at 207 West Fifth Avenue on the main campus in Arkansas City or the Wichita Eastside Location. The bookstore phone number is (620) 441-5277.

What does it cost to take courses?

The student will be responsible for paying the College the current rate of tuition and fees per credit hour as outlined by College Policy. The current rates are published in the current course schedule, on the Cowley College website at www.cowley.edu/tuition, or can be obtained from your high school counselor. These fees are subject to change with approval and adoption from the Cowley College Board of Trustees. Online courses are offered at $117 per credit hour.

Can students obtain Federal financial aid and scholarships for tuition and fees for the college classes while they are concurrently enrolled in high school?

No. Federal laws only allow financial aid to be provided to high school graduates.

What payment options are available if a student can’t afford to pay tuition, fees, and book costs at the time of enrollment?

Cowley College provides the opportunity for students to take advantage of a budget tuition management plan called e-cashier through nelnet, which charges a minimal non-refundable service fee per semester. This interest-free payment plan allows students or parents to authorize automatic bank withdrawals from a banking account, or charge monthly payments to a credit card. Students can register for the e-Cashier program online. Informational forms may also be available from your high school counselor.

How do students find out their current grades in their College courses?

Each Cowley student is created an identification number and provided access to log into Campus Connect, the student information system. Through Campus Connect, students can view academic information such as their grades, schedules, unofficial transcripts and other pertinent information. Information on accessing Campus Connect is provided to students at the time of enrollment or through their instructor.

Will parents have access to the student’s College academic progress?

If the student provides their parents with their access information, a parent can access the student information via Campus Connect, or the student can sign a release to grant permission for College personnel to discuss their progress with a parent. As part of the CAPSS enrollment form, however, students do sign a permission form that allows the College to communicate student performance information to personnel at their high schools.

Additional Information

While a participant in the CAPSS program, concurrent students are officially registered as students of Cowley College and classified as non-degree seeking students. The academic credit granted for college course work successfully completed by the student shall qualify for College credit. Credit will be recorded on the student’s official academic record of the College. At the discretion of the high school, course work may simultaneously qualify for high school credit.

The Cowley student handbook and catalog will serve as the official rules of record, which govern student activity in admission, enrollment, course work, and behavior. All college policies and procedures can be accessed via the Cowley Web Site. Additional information regarding Cowley College is available to students and the public at www.cowley.edu. It is recommended that students become familiar with the information on the Cowley web site, in particular with information listed under the “Academics” menu.

Who is the Cowley College contact person for the CAPSS Program?

In most schools, the high school counselor serves as the contact person to answer student’s questions. For further assistance, contact Janice Stover, Director of Academic Enrichment at the main Cowley College campus at (620) 441-5247 or email stover@cowley.edu.